TRINITY – Incumbent Pct. 2 Commissioner Jannette Hortman narrowly edged her way into a runoff with former Commissioner Bill Burton as a result of a recount of the March 2 primary vote. The original vote count conducted following the Democratic Party primary gave Burton the victory without a runoff by a narrow one-vote margin. His vote court of 442 was one vote more than 50 percent of the 882 votes cast in the race. Hortman’s original count was 246 while the Ed Tindall finished in third with 194. Because of the one-vote margin, Hortman requested a recount last week, which local Democratic Party officials conducted Tuesday morning. While the election night count was conducted by machine, Tuesday’s recount was by hand with observers from the candidates invited to observe. The hand count shifted two votes in the race, with Burton dropping to 440 or 49.9 percent. Hortman picked up two votes, going to 248 or 28.1 percent while Tindall’s count remained unchanged at 194 or 22.1 percent. “There will be a runoff in the race,” Trinity County Democratic Chairman Fredie Chapman said following Tuesday’s recount. The runoff in the commissioner’s race will be one of two on the April 13 ballot and both will be for Precinct 2 candidates. In the Precinct 2 justice of the peach election, incumbent Bernie Beard is facing Trinity City Judge Howard Kinsel on the runoff ballot. In the March 2 race, Beard finished on top with 336 votes (43.1%) while Kinsel received 258 (33.1%). The third candidate in the race, Ray Boatman, received 186 votes (23.8%). While there are no Republicans seeing the Pct. 2 JP post, the winner of the Pct. 2 commissioners runoff will face Richard E. “Rich” Chamberlin in the November general election. Chamberlin was unopposed in the March 2 Republican Party primary. Early voting in the runoff will be held from April 5-9 at the Trinity City Hall. Groveton Fire Station and the Apple Springs Fire Station.